Indian · Kerala · main

Nadan Meen Curry with Kudampuli

Nadan Meen Curry with Kudampuli reads marine & briny 6.2, umami 5.7 and salinity 5.5 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Indian · Kerala main, about 2 hr 44 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 7.5 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 1.6 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 2.5 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.0 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.8 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 5.0 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Marine & Briny 6.2 · Umami 5.7 · Salinity 5.5 · Richness 5.1 · Allium 4.7 · Nutty 2.4 · Warm Spice 2.2 · Sourness 2.1 · Funk & Ferment 2.1 · Earthy 1.7 · Sweetness 1.5 · Citrus 1.4 · Herbaceous 1.3 · Bitterness 1.3 · Floral 0.7 · Smoke 0.5

What's in it (15)

• sardines — 700 g
• kudampuli — 2 g
• coconut oil — 41 g
• fenugreek seeds — 5 g
• brown mustard seeds — 5 g
• curry leaves — 2 g
• shallots — 150 g
• fresh ginger — 15 g
• garlic — 24 g
• kashmiri red chilli powder — 44 g
• turmeric — 5 g
• ground coriander — 15 g
• water — 300 g
• salt — 9 g
• coconut oil — 14 g

Time & effort: about 2 hr 44 min (28 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 165.3 kcal, 13.7 g protein, 10.5 g fat, 3.8 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

1. Soak the kudampuli in warm water for 15 minutes until the leathery black rinds soften. Kudampuli is Garcinia gummi-gutta and it is not tamarind and not kokum; kokum is Garcinia indica, a different species with a rounder, fruitier sourness. Kudampuli brings a smoky, almost tarry sourness that is the whole point of a nadan meen curry, and nothing else gives it.
2. Heat the coconut oil in a clay manchatti or heavy pan over medium heat and add the fenugreek, then the mustard seeds. Give the fenugreek a 15 second head start so it toasts rather than burns, and let the mustard pop for 40 seconds. Add the curry leaves.
3. Add the shallots, ginger and garlic and fry 8 minutes until the shallots are soft and pale gold.
4. Lower the heat, stir in the chilli powder, turmeric and coriander and fry 90 seconds, sprinkling in a spoonful of water so the powders do not scorch.
5. Add the water, the kudampuli with its soaking liquid and the salt, and simmer 6 minutes until the gravy is a deep brick red.
6. Slide in the fish in a single layer, shake the pan rather than stir it, and simmer 10 to 12 minutes until the fish is firm and the gravy has thickened enough to coat the pieces.
7. Pour over the last tablespoon of raw coconut oil, cover and leave off the heat for at least 2 hours. This curry is better the next day, when the kudampuli has worked all the way through.
8. Substitutions: seer fish can stand in for the sardines.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Tiella di Riso, Patate e Cozze — Italian · Puglia
• Salada de Polvo — Portuguese
• Siu Mai (烧卖) — Chinese
• Shrimp Alfredo — Italian-American
• Shito (Black Pepper Sauce) — Ghanaian

Keep reading: what marine & briny, umami, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.